For The Best Belgian Beer, Go To ... Michigan?

by Noah Adams | National Public Radio

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When The New York Times did a blind taste test of Belgian-style beer, a brew from Michigan came out on top. The golden ale, called Oro de Calabaza, comes from Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, a small brewery owned by Ron Jeffries.

Oro de Calabaza, from Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales in Dexter, Mich., beat out 19 other beers, several of them from -- you guessed it -- Belgium.

The beer is the work of Ron Jeffries, who owns Jolly Pumpkin. He had worked nine years for brew pubs before deciding it was time to start his own brand.

And how did he decide on a name like Jolly Pumpkin?

After he and his wife brainstormed brand-name ideas, Jeffries says, "The absolutely most ridiculous name on that list was 'jolly pumpkin,' and it made us laugh every time we would say it."